**Connections: Sports Edition – A New Challenge for Sports Fans**
*Connections: Sports Edition* offers a novel twist on the famed [New York Times word game](https://www.nytimes.com/games/connections), crafted to challenge the knowledge and quick thinking of sports fans.
Similar to the original *Connections*, this game focuses on uncovering “common threads among words.” Like *Wordle*, [*Connections*](https://mashable.com/article/nyt-connections-hint-answer-today-december-28-2024) resets daily at midnight, with each puzzle getting progressively tougher. If you find yourself in a bind, we have hints and methods to assist you—or you can jump to the end for today’s answers.
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### What is *Connections: Sports Edition*?
The *New York Times* has partnered with *The Athletic*, its sports-centric publication, to introduce this new daily word game. Accessible on both web browsers and mobile devices, the game tests players to categorize four words sharing a common theme.
Each puzzle offers 16 words that need to be organized into four separate categories. These categories can include everything from book titles to software, country names, or, in this instance, sports-related themes. Although several words may appear to match, there’s only one correct grouping per set.
When players successfully identify all four words in a category, those words are eliminated from the board. However, wrong guesses are counted as mistakes, and players can make up to four errors before the game concludes.
To ease gameplay, players can shuffle the board to identify connections more easily. Each category is color-coded by difficulty: yellow is the most straightforward, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like *Wordle*, you can share your results with friends via social media.
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### Hints for Today’s *Connections: Sports Edition* Categories
Need a gentle push to begin? Here are some clues for today’s categories:
– **Yellow:** Potential resting spots for a golf ball
– **Green:** Colorado mascots
– **Blue:** Films featuring fighters
– **Purple:** Important areas in football and baseball
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### Today’s *Connections: Sports Edition* Categories
For those seeking more tailored assistance, here are today’s categories:
– **Yellow:** Locations on a golf course
– **Green:** An athlete from Colorado
– **Blue:** Movies about boxing
– **Purple:** ____ zone
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### Today’s *Connections: Sports Edition* Solution
Prepared for the solutions? This is your last chance to solve the puzzle before we divulge the answers.
Drumroll, please!
Here’s the answer to today’s *Connections: Sports Edition* #131:
– **Locations on a golf course:** BUNKER, FRINGE, GREEN, ROUGH
– **An athlete from Colorado:** BRONCO, BUFFALO, NUGGET, RAPID
– **Movies about boxing:** ALI, CREED, RAGING BULL, ROCKY
– **____ zone:** END, RED, STRIKE, MATCHUP
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Don’t be disheartened if you didn’t solve it this time—there’s always tomorrow! A fresh *Connections* puzzle will be ready to test your intellect, and we’ll be here with additional hints and tips to assist you.
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### Looking for More Games?
If you enjoy puzzles, visit Mashable’s [games hub](https://games.mashable.com/) for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crosswords, and much more.
Want to take on another *NYT* classic? [Here’s the answer to today’s Wordle](https://mashable.com/article/wordle-today-answer-february-1-2025).
Missed yesterday’s *Connections*? [Find the solution here](https://mashable.com/article/nyt-connections-hint-answer-today-february-1-2025).
Happy gaming!